Description

Notes

A lavishly bound composite album or 'recueils factices' of views of seventeenth century Paris, Versailles and the surrounding country estates.

The work begins with the gates of the city, moving onto its gardens, palaces, and public buildings; these include the Royal Palace, Les Invalides, the Tuileries Gardens, the Observatory, and the Sorbonne. There then follows 38 plates of the Palace of Versailles. The work concludes with the views of other country estates surrounding the capital; such as Chateau de Chantilly, Chateau de Fontainblaeu, and the no longer extant Chateau Neuf de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Chateau de Saint-Cloud, Chateau de Richelieu, and the Chateau de Chilly-Mazarin.

The vast majority of the plates with in the work are by the engraver Adam Perelle (1640-1695). Perelle was the son of Gabriel and younger brother of Nicolas, all of whom were artist. He was named 'graveur de roi' to Louis XIV and gave lessons to the French nobility; among his pupils was the Duc de Bourbon, grandson of the le Grand Conde. Of the 137 plates 112 bear his imprint, with 11 bearing the imprints of the publishers Nicolas Langlois, or Nicolas de Poilly alone; 14 plates are before letters with manuscript titles. Four of the plates bear the name of Israel Silvestre as artist. Silvestre (1621-1691) was the a leading draftsman etcher and print dealer, who specialised in topographical views. In 1673, he was appointed drawing-master to Louis, le Grand Dauphin.

London

Daniel Crouch Rare Books LLP

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Opening hours

Monday–Friday 10.00–18.00
Saturday by appointment
Closed: all bank holidays and 31 July–31 August